SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

SCHOOL ONE

PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER

Vol. XXXX, No. 4 Happy Holidays! December 4, 2012

Author Dan Gutman Visits School One: We are very pleased that author, Dan Gutman, will be spending a day with the children and staff of School One on Friday, December 7th. The School One PTA is sponsoring this program and we would like to extend our appreciation to them. There will be four presentations for our students based upon age-appropriate groupings. In addition, eight fourth-grade representatives will have lunch with Mr. Gutman, and there will be book signings for those families who have purchased one of the works in his collection. Everyone at School One is looking forward to a wonderful day with Mr. Gutman.

WINTER WEATHER ANNOUNCEMENT: The Honeywell Instant Alert Messaging System quickly notifies families of school closings, delayed openings, and emergency early dismissals. Please be sure you have registered with Honeywell to receive the instant alert message. If you have not already done so, or you wish to update your home phone, cell phone, email address and/or test message contacts, please follow the instructions below to set up your profile:

Ø Go to www.spfk12.org

Ø Click on Instant Alert in the left-hand column of the District’s home webpage

Ø Input your personal contact information

Ø Select which type of school information you would like to receive on each of

your contact devices

If you cannot access the system via computer, call Robert Apati at (908) 322-6097 for assistance. Announcements will also be carried on Radio Station 101.5 FM, TV station WNBC-TV (Channel 4), and on NJ12. Internet notice will be posted on the District website at: www.spfk12.org.

Late (Delayed) Opening of School—Under certain conditions it may become necessary to delay the opening of school. The announcement of delayed opening means that our school doors will open at 9:55 a.m. (with instruction beginning at 10:05 a.m.) for students in the morning pre-k and kindergarten, Grades 1 through 4, and our self-contained special education programs. Students are requested to arrive at school no earlier than 9:50 a.m. DISMISSAL TIMES WILL REMAIN THE SAME AND STUDENTS WILL REMAIN IN SCHOOL FOR A 45-MINUTE LUNCH PERIOD. STUDENTS WHO ARE BUSED SHOULD MEET THEIR BUS AT THE SAME BUS STOP EXACTLY 1 1/2 HOURS LATER THAN THE NORMAL TIME.

On delayed opening days, the pre-k and kindergarten morning sessions will be held from 10:05 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; the afternoon sessions will be from 1:00 to 3:10 p.m.

Closing of School and Delayed Openings—A decision regarding school closings or delayed openings will be made by 6:30 a.m. For Internet announcements, see the District’s home page at www.spfk12.org. You will find emergency school closing notices at the top of the left-hand column by 6:30 a.m. Please do not call the Scotch Plains or Fanwood Police Departments. They will not give out school closing information and their lines must be kept open for emergency needs.

Emergency Dismissal—If there is a situation when schools must either close early (or be extended after regular dismissal time) because of unusual circumstances the following procedures will be followed:

v The Superintendent will make the decision regarding an emergency closing, and put into operation the Honeywell Emergency Alert System.

v In the event of an emergency closing, parents will be responsible to make arrangements to have their child picked up at school at the determined time. Should a responsible adult not be at School One when the children are dismissed, they will remain in school until alternate arrangements can be made. Information on the Blue Emergency Contact Cards will be used to locate a neighbor or a relative who can assume responsibility for the student.

Parents should have a plan in place should an emergency closing occur, and if developmentally appropriate, your child should be informed of this procedure. Please make sure that the information on your Blue Emergency Contact Card is updated and accurate. If changes are necessary, please contact the Main Office at (908) 322-7731 (press Option 3 or Extension 1802), or e-mail Susan Winkler (at ) or Christina O’Brien (at ).

v Please note that children will NOT be released from school unless a parent/guardian has been contacted or the school office has been notified of alternate arrangements.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION: Our appreciation goes to those parents who have been supportive and cooperative with our dismissal procedures. The area at our dismissal doors can become quite congested and weather conditions can sometimes make dismissal even more challenging than usual.

We appreciate you doing your best to remain on the pavers around the flagpole or in an area by the third- and fourth-grade doors so that children can be dismissed and meet their parent or responsible adult in a safe manner. Please keep the walkway by the front doors clear so that our staff can escort students to their respective buses. Finally, we would like to extend our thanks for your courtesy in allowing our teachers to dismiss all their students before entering the building. As a result of these efforts, we are feeling more confident that our children are departing School One safely.

BRRR…IT’S COLD OUTSIDE: The colder weather will soon be here. Our goal is to have the children go outside for their 30-minute recess time when temperatures are above the freezing mark. Should it rain or snow and the grass area becomes unsafe, we have blacktop space that can be cleared so that our students may go outdoors during recess. This decision is made on a daily basis. Please have your children wear the proper clothing (including a coat, hat, and gloves or mittens) to school so that they will be able to enjoy the fresh air and be rejuvenated for the afternoon session.

LOST & FOUND: Over recent weeks, we have been collecting many articles of clothing that have not been claimed by our students. If your child has lost something at school, we may very well have it! You may either have your child check the Lost and Found box while at school, or stop by and check it yourself. We’d like to suggest that you describe the item that has been lost to your child in order to help him/her recognize the article of clothing that has been misplaced.

MESSAGE TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS: It would be very much appreciated if you would make all necessary arrangements regarding your child’s dismissal from school in the morning before your child arrives at school. It is our policy to try and avoid any unnecessary interruptions to our classrooms during the school day, except in the event of a true emergency.

MILK MONEY: The January Milk Sale Order Form will be sent home with your child on December 10th. Please complete and return the form, along with your payment, no later than Wednesday, December 12th. Please note the following:

· Milk money for Kindergarten students will be $7.35 (21 days x $ .35).

· Milk money for students in Grades 1 through 4 will be $1.95 (3 days x $ .65). We are only collecting milk money for January 2nd, 3rd and 4th, as the new milk program for these grades will begin on Monday, January 7th (more information to follow).

LUNCH MONEY COLLECTION: Lunch menus will be sent home on December 10th and 17th for the weeks of December 17th and January 2nd, respectively. Parents are to complete the lunch order form at the bottom of the menu and return it to school the following day. Contact the Main Office if you would like to receive a copy of the peanut-free menu.

Beginning Monday, January 7th, a new lunch program will be implemented. More information will be sent home with your child, and posted on our website, within the next two weeks.

If you have any general comments regarding the school lunch program, you may e-mail Pomptonian at . Please direct any inquires to: Scott VanOsten, Food Service Director, (908) 889-7333.

Happy Holidays to You and Yours!

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Visit the School One website at www.spfk12.org/school one